Alleged far-right plotters go on trial accused of plan to overthrow German state

Those on trial on Monday include former and existing members of the armed services, including the elite force, as well as a police officer

Masked police officers lead 'Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss', front center, to a police vehicle during a raid against so-called 'Reich citizens' in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Picture: Boris Roessler/dpa via AP

Nine people have gone on trial amid tight security in the southern German city of Stuttgart in one of three cases linked to an alleged far-right plot to overthrow the state led by a pseudo-aristocrat businessman.

The men are charged with high treason, attempted murder, and membership of a terrorist organisation in relation to the alleged coup, which was foiled in nationwide raids in 2022. They are identified as belonging to the “military wing” behind the group’s ringleader, the 72-year-old self-styled aristocrat Heinrich XIII, Prince Reuss.